Chapter Twenty

The Sultan-Elect

The young prince seemed stupefied; he did not move.

Rachel drew in a gasping breath, then levelled her gun – and a knife flashed from the hand of a man behind Kohari. She screamed, and the gun dropped.

Prince Hamid snatched at the gun, but Mannering reached it first and kicked it out of the way. The Prince dived for it again but before he could touch it a knife sped in a bright streak and stuck quivering in the floor close to the handle of the gun.

“Highness,” Kam Kohari said quietly, “please do not try again.”

“I’ll have you hanged!” cried Prince Hamid. “I’ll have you—”

A knife flashed across his eyes, not touching them but making him dart backwards.

“Highness,” Kam Kohari said more firmly, “it is my duty to charge you with treason against the state of Taria.”

“Treason!” spat Hamid. “Who is the traitor? I, the Sultan, or you, the pig of a consul who—”

Lorna was calling out: “John! John, are you all right?”

He reassured her, then turned to Rachel who was crying, at least as much with bitter disappointment as with pain. Mannering took out a handkerchief and wrapped it round the wounded hand. He, perhaps alone of them all, heard the faint whine of the lift and knew that it was going downwards; he also heard footsteps, soft, stealthy, but unmistakable, on the emergency stairs, once the only way up and down.

Kohari looked at Mannering, and asked in a bewildered way: “Did you know what was to happen?”

“I had a pretty good idea,” Mannering said. “You wanted to keep the treasures at the Consulate at all costs, even trying to make me think they were in different places all over the country. I—but wait a moment!”

On the same instant, two things happened. The lift door opened and a pale, washed-out looking Chief Inspector Gordon appeared; and the Emergency Exit door opened and more Scotland Yard men streamed on to the landing. Clearly they had expected to run into danger, for two of them carried automatic pistols.

“Hallo, Chief Inspector,” Mannering said. “I’m glad to see you’re better.”

Gordon almost gaped. “You’re Mannering?”

“What’s in a face?” asked Mannering lightly.

“This is no time to be flippant. What is going on here?”

“This man is a traitor to his country!” Prince Hamid cried, pointing to Kam Kohari. “And he helped him to steal the treasures of Taria from the Consulate. Arrest him!” He drew himself up to his full height as he pointed a quivering finger at Mannering. “He and his friends are all guilty, they stole—”

“They stole nothing,” Gordon interrupted sharply. “We were told where the treasures were almost as soon as they reached there, and the house in Hampstead is under police guard.” Gordon looked at the hippy who was so much older than most of his kind, and growled: “I can’t believe you are John Mannering.”

“I think my wife may convince you,” Mannering said. He opened the door of the study and as Lorna came hurrying he went on: “I’m sorry, darling, but I thought there might be a shooting match and I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“You really did expect us,” Kam Kohari said in astonishment.

“I was sure you wouldn’t let me out of your sight until you knew the treasure was safe,” Mannering replied, “and I didn’t like the way either the Prince or Rachel had been behaving, so I half-expected them. It seemed a good place and time for a confrontation.”

“What kind of confrontation?” demanded Gordon. He had lost much of his irascibility and was more puzzled than hostile.

“Will you tell him?” Mannering asked Kohari. “He will probably believe you more readily than he will believe me.”

“In any future dealings with you I would trust you absolutely,” Kohari declared with great sincerity. “So. Chief Inspector, it is very simple. Some of my country’s leaders wish the country well. Some wish only personal riches and self-advancement. For a long time rebellion has been brewing, and despite the fact that the Sultan had been successful in crushing many of the incipient revolts, he knew that one day the revolutionaries would win. So, he smuggled the treasures out of the country – with my help. That is why I was made consul here in London: I was entrusted with the safety of the treasures.”

He paused; and even Rachel was listening, while Lorna watched with rapt attention, her fingers gripping Mannering’s.

“To make it appear that he wanted to sell them for personal gain, the Sultan asked Mr. Mannering – and indeed other dealers – to find markets for them. Mr. Mannering refused, saying he would not become involved in politics of another country. Other dealers sold small objets d’art but the main collection was in the Consulate.

“The Sultan knew that Hamid, his son by his favourite wife, and his successor by Tarian law, could not be trusted. He refused to tell Hamid where the treasures were. So Hamid came to England to search for them, and the first person he approached was you, Mr. Mannering, hoping you would believe they were divided among various owners. With Rachel, daughter of a trusted Australian diplomat, he already had a man named Hugo Blount, a man of many activities, looking for the jewels.

“You know, I am sure, how they tried to involve you over some silver said to be treasure trove, in this country.

“In fact,” Kam Kohari went on with a smile which lit up his whole face, “it is now obvious you were far from convinced. When did you first suspect Prince Hamid?”

“As soon as I began to realise that he and Rachel weren’t telling me the truth,” Mannering said promptly. “By the way, I took a tape from Rachel but haven’t had a chance to play it back yet – it may provide quite a bit of evidence about her and Prince Hamid’s plans for the treasure – and about the silver that was stolen from my shop. Did you take that, Kam Kohari?”

“It was a present to the Sultan’s grandfather from a German Prince, given many years ago,” Kohari said. “It was kept unlocked at the Consulate and was stolen – by His Highness, the woman Rachel whom I had trusted, and Blount.”

“How can a Prince steal his own possessions?” demanded Hamid, in cold anger.

“They are no longer the Sultan’s, whoever he may be,” replied Kohari. “It is true that your father died. It is also true that he gave all of the treasures of his dynasty to the state, at such time as it is peaceful and ruled as the people wish. Today there is a revolution in Taria. The people need a leader – not a ruler, but a leader. Had you been truly with the rebels they would have wanted you. As it is, they have called on another.

“I do not truly understand why,” went on Kohari. “But it appears that they want a leader who will put not himself, nor his family, nor even his pride, before the nation. And as I am a nephew of the late Sultan, your father – and, apart from you, his closest male relative – they have called upon me.”

There was utter silence. No one moved. All watched the heavily-built middle-aged man with his sad face so full of physical suffering. Suddenly the Tarians came to him, and placed the palms of their hands together and made obeisance.

Except the Prince.

He slid his hand very slowly into his pocket and as slowly drew out a knife – and then leapt for the new Sultan. But before he could reach him, Gordon moved, thrusting out a leg and sending him sprawling. As other Yard men sprang forward, Gordon gave as broad a smile as Mannering had ever seen.

“Now we can charge him with attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, sir.” He spoke direct to Kohari. “You won’t mind him out of the way until you get things straightened out, will you?”

“It is a matter for regret,” Kohari said, “but it will be of great value.”

“I’m very glad, sir. And we’ll charge Miss Guise with the same thing – we’ve already got Blount on that, and on theft. Er—mind telling me one thing?” Gordon asked, as one of his men clicked the handcuffs on to Hamid.

“Most certainly,” Kam Kohari said.

“Is the drug neri as vicious as it’s said to be?”

“It is most virulent in its effect, and causes the most mild of men to be furiously angry,” Kam Kohari answered. “But the effect is short-lived and the drug is not habit forming.”

“That’s a considerable relief,” Gordon said, and he turned blandly to Mannering. “Bill Bristow must have been dosed with the stuff – and I was, too. So we won’t prefer a charge of assault or bear any grievance. Very glad you’re in the clear, too, Mr. Mannering.” He smiled broadly.

There were a few formalities before the two prisoners were taken away.

Kam Kohari promised that next day he would make a detailed statement, and Gordon took his men off, behaving as if he were a changed person: which no doubt in a way he was.

His men went to take the treasures back to their hiding place, while Mannering telephoned Rupert and Brian to make sure they were on hand to help.

When ah this was done, Kam Kohari sat at ease in one of Mannering’s chairs, sipping abstemiously at a glass of brandy. Much of the burden seemed to have been lifted from his shoulders.

“How well do you know Sing Lee?” asked Mannering, without warning.

Kohari smiled as if in pleasant relaxation.

“I have used him to help, to give me information he has come by, and to hold certain objets d’art for me until I was able to take them into the treasure house. And I blackmailed him, as you would say. But I also gave him trifles which he values. He is better off because of me. I allowed him as I allowed everyone to think I was the evil one, you understand. I had to protect the old Sultan and his son: and my way was to draw suspicion on myself.

“In one way, Mr. Mannering, we are back where we began,” Kohari went on. “Taria needs a great deal of money and her only immediately realisable assets are the treasures. Now that you can be assured the money will be spent in the nation’s interest, will you find the best market that you can?”

Mannering pursed his lips.

“Of course he will,” said Lorna, who looked herself again: a very beautiful woman.

“If it really comes to selling, yes,” Mannering said, “but I wonder if it need. I’m no politician, but I think that while you are in England and the Sultan-elect of Taria, you could expect a sympathetic ear for a request for credit. And we are looking for places overseas in which to invest. I think the city would listen, as you’ve oil and other minerals, as well as rubber and hardwoods. If you are really forced to, you could offer the national treasures as a security, but if you can be reasonably sure of a peaceful society I don’t think you need worry.”

Kam Kohari looked at Mannering with a new respect.

“And you say you are not a politician! How much I would like you in my cabinet, if only for a year!”

At last he made his way to the lift, Lorna with him, while Mannering went down by the stairs. The old Rolls Royce stood at the kerb and a Tarian stood by the door. Mannering was as sure as he could be that it was the one who had used the knife to make him give his name.

Two months later, the Mannerings received a cable from Taria, which read:

Ceremonial enthronement of Sultan arranged for October first this year. I plead with you both to come as honoured guests, to take precedence over the many who are investing in and extending credits to a country of much promise.

Kam Kohari.

The three-day celebration was the most entrancing experience that Lorna had ever experienced. Mannering said very little, but he watched with both humility and pride.